Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Eyes That Show Only What You Want to See (6)
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"Director, this is Park Dong-jin."
—Ah, yes. Reporter Park.
"Are you free to talk?"
—Just a moment. I'll step away.
The sound of him moving somewhere with someone else came through the speaker.
—Go ahead.
"I think you no longer need to worry about your friend, President Lee Yu-bin's motel."
—Ah! Really? That's a relief. You've heard everything from Yu-bin, haven't you, Reporter Park?
"Yes, I heard the whole story. President Lee has expressed her intent to turn herself in. So I wanted to ask if you, Director Park Young-ho, plan to do the same."
—If Yu-bin turns herself in, I can't deny it alone, so of course I will. But Reporter Park, the statute of limitations has run out on our hidden camera crime, while that murderer's hasn't. If Yu-bin and I turn ourselves in, as the owner family of Haedong Ilbo, all eyes from the media and public will be on me, and that murderer will slip away in the chaos.
It was a remarkably calm voice.
—We need to catch that murderer. By testifying to help catch him, our crimes will naturally come to light. Our sins are great, but that murderer's crimes must never be buried. You can find the murderer, Reporter Park.
Byung-su and Yu-bin nodded in agreement with Young-ho's words.
"Yes, I understand. I'll relay that to President Lee."
—Reporter Park, if you can't reach me, ask my father about the bag. And tell Yu-bin I'm sorry.
After the call ended, Na-rae asked Dong-jin with a puzzled look.
"Sunbae, did Park Young-ho give you any more info on the murderer?"
"No, nothing."
"Then why is he so sure you can track down the murderer? It's been ten years... And what's this about a bag?"
"Yeah... the bag... Ah! President Lee, do you still have that video?"
Dong-jin urgently asked Yu-bin, who pulled a USB from her pants pocket.
"I've been carrying it around to turn myself in."
He turned on the computer and TV, playing the video from the USB. Na-rae bolted to the bathroom and vomited, while Lucifer and Jijang's expressions hardened instantly.
"Reporter Eun, you okay?"
Byung-su, uncomfortable with the horrific murder scene, unnecessarily stood by the bathroom door calling out to Na-rae.
Even without sound recorded, the desperate screams of the woman in the video seemed to tear at everyone's eardrums in the room.
Dong-jin stared intently at the screen, muttering.
"There was a reason he invited me... Park Young-ho knew exactly who the murderer was. He invited me to show him."
"What?"
"Sunbae! What is it?"
Byung-su and Na-rae somehow caught on and rushed over, but after seeing the TV screen, they dashed back to the bathroom to vomit.
"This guy, Teacher Paeng... he's the murderer."
Dong-jin said, comparing the photo of Teacher Paeng on his phone with the man on the TV screen.
"That's no person. It's not human."
The old woman suddenly rose from the bed, pointing at the man on the screen. Na-rae, who had returned, chimed in.
"Right! It's not human at all."
Byung-su felt their definitions of "human" differed greatly.
Lucifer stared piercingly at the man in the video without a word until it ended, then let out a deep sigh and whispered to Jijang.
"It's Purson."
Jijang nodded quietly.
Purson was a subordinate of Beelzebub, a demon belonging to the Fly Cult.
A demon who divined the future from the past, it had dominated humanity for ages with all sorts of ghost stories and rumors.
* * *
When Young-ho returned to the room after the call with Dong-jin, Prosecutor Kang In-mok greeted him with a smile.
"I've prepared reliable reporters. Hold the press conference first, then head to the Central District Prosecutors' Office with me."
It seemed all preparations were complete even before the call with Dong-jin.
"The statute of limitations on your hidden camera oversight crime expired long ago, so you'll be questioned as a witness in the Sky Motel murder case."
"Yes......"
"With Reporter Park's personality, he'll definitely track down and report the murderer. Testify righteously, and the public's attention will shift from the hidden camera to catching the murderer."
Since Young-ho was turning himself in by pointing at Prosecutor Kang, the witness questioning would be smooth.
"Let's go, Prosecutor Kang."
Young-ho strode confidently toward the press conference room, reviewing the prepared apology statement.
"Today, I stand here to apologize for my past mistakes and accept punishment. Over ten years ago, I witnessed a murder at a motel in Gangnam but stayed silent out of fear my own crimes would be exposed."
He skimmed the beginning and tucked it back into his pocket.
He liked that it cut straight to the point without unnecessary preamble.
"President Park and former Executive Director Park will be questioned on body disposal. There'll be a CEO vacancy risk."
Young-ho nodded at Prosecutor Kang's words.
Haedong Ilbo reporters were set to focus not on the hidden camera, but the murder.
Dongguk Ilbo and other media outlets had prepped stories highlighting the courageous confession and outrage at the brutal murderer.
Coordinated reporters from each outlet would shape public opinion as absolution, making it hard for Teacher Paeng, hounded by prosecutors, to wield influence later.
To resolve the CEO vacancy, Young-ho taking the president role would complete Prosecutor Kang's picture.
Even Haedong Group HQ couldn't oppose Young-ho's appointment as president.
He walked the long corridor and stood before the elevator.
"Father and Aunt are too cowardly. We should've chased Teacher Paeng out long ago."
His reflection in the elevator door looked satisfactory.
The doors opened.
Young-ho and Prosecutor Kang's eyes widened, rooted to the spot.
Teacher Paeng stepped out of the elevator, smiling, with a large bag in tow.
"Did I come at a bad time for a busy man? It's been ten years since we last met, and this is the first time I've sought you out separately, right?"
"How did you... Teacher Paeng?"
As Young-ho asked in shock, Teacher Paeng grabbed his shoulder, turning him toward the room he'd come from.
"Ah, Prosecutor Kang can go. I'll visit you separately."
Teacher Paeng said without even glancing back.
The stunned prosecutor bolted down the stairs without looking back.
Teacher Paeng entered the room, smiling.
"I really like this hotel. I don't have a home. I live staying at hotels and motels like this one. Among them, the view from Haedong Hotel is my favorite. You can see Gwanghwamun, the lights of various media outlets. Ah! That building is Dongguk Ilbo, and the small one next to it is KD Report, right?"
"Yes... that's right."
Despite the out-of-place question, Young-ho maintained a polite demeanor in his response.
"But Director Park, why did you do it?"
Teacher Paeng tossed out the question casually, not waiting for an answer as he took a step toward Young-ho.
* * *
"You have only one son, don't you, President Park?"
When Teacher Paeng suddenly visited home late at night and asked about his son, President Park answered flustered.
"Only Young-ho."
"It's been ten years since I saw Director Park here, and that day I came to you dragging a bag like this. That time, I asked Director Park specifically, but today I'm asking you, President Park. Bury the bag in the garden like always."
"Of course. Since it's Teacher Paeng asking, I'll handle it properly."
"This house, where your grandfather lived. Who will live here from now on? The safest, most secretive place in Seoul......"
"Hahaha. Won't Young-ho inherit it after me? He may have shortcomings, but he's the one to succeed me, so please look after him."
"Is that so? Hahaha. I see."
Teacher Paeng's laughter sounded utterly delighted.
* * *
A few days later, thirty bags containing dismembered bodies were found buried at President Park's home in Seongbuk-dong, Haedong Ilbo.
One contained the missing Director Park Young-ho.
Police announced many of the bodies in the bags were over a hundred years old.
They named the figure from Yu-bin's video as a suspect.
But soon after, an announcement came that the person in Dong-jin's phone photo and Yu-bin's video were not the same.
No fingerprints other than the Haedong Ilbo Park family were found on any bags.
No trace of the Teacher Paeng Dong-jin claimed could be found anywhere.
All media focused solely on the Haedong Ilbo Park family.
And a few months later, Teacher Paeng visited Hanbando Newspaper.
"I'll buy up ten times the shares. I'll remain the largest shareholder, help your family maintain management rights for generations, and buy more after capital increase. If Hanbando Newspaper is interested in a news specialty channel, I'm open to investing there too."
It was a sweet deal.
When the completely unrelated Teacher Paeng suddenly appeared with such a great offer, President Han asked in surprise.
"Hanbando is the largest progressive paper, but tiny compared to conservative ones. Why make this offer to me?"
Teacher Paeng smiled faintly at President Han's question.
"Just because it's progressive doesn't mean progressive readers unconditionally support it. No. If it doesn't suit them even a little, they threaten to cancel subscriptions, boycotts, sell off their meager shares. They shout they're progressive but have no intention of growing a progressive paper."
President Han nodded.
"President Han, advertising revenue is tough, making management hard, right? I'll fix that. Now, claim mechanical neutrality and speak for me. Then you can be the eyes for those seeking what they want to see."
Teacher Paeng pointed to his own eyes.
"It's a business either way, and businesses pursue profit. Money has no justice. Stick to mechanical neutrality and join me."
"What do you mean by mechanical neutrality?"
"Exactly. Some claim the world divides into right and wrong by even an inch. Nonsense. No need for a newspaper to make enemies by digging that inch. Of course, you could overlook it for mechanical neutrality to kill enemies."
Teacher Paeng's smile was exceedingly relaxed.
"For us, mechanical neutrality will be a very convenient weapon."
* * *
"Anyone can see it's Teacher Paeng, how could they rule like this?"
Dong-jin fumed, and Na-rae soothed him.
"It's not the first time police and prosecutors fail to recognize someone. Calm down, sunbae. But you'll keep investigating, right?"
"Of course. But we can't find Teacher Paeng's whereabouts."
"Drop the investigation. This kind of thing needs to be done secretly over time."
Dong-jin nodded at Byung-su's words.
"He's not far. Shit sticks together with other filthy ones. But yesterday at the Jongno green onion pancake place, I ran into Lucifer and Jijang, and they said something odd."
"Like what?"
"That they'll find the Paeng bastard themselves, so stay away. When I asked why, they just ate pancakes without a word."